Farmer News
1 December, 2025
Feed Central launches Hay Safe portal
FEED Central has recently launched its new Hay Safe webpage.
This hub has been designed to help farmers, contractors and families stay safe around hay stacks and large bales.
The new dedicated online resource is designed to help families, farmers, hay producers, transporters, feedlot owners, dairies and contractors reduce risks associated with hay production, stacking, and handling.
The new portal was released ahead of National Hay Safe Day on October 25 and brings together a comprehensive suite of free safety materials, including downloadable checklists for safe stacking, loading, and transport, short training videos on working safely with large square bales (550–750 kg), and printable posters and signage for sheds, yards, and workshops.
There are also family safety guides with practical advice for children and bystanders and links to training programs and awareness resources for teams working in hay and fodder.
Feed Central managing director Tim Ford said that in the fodder industry, it’s not unusual to know someone who’s been killed in a hay bale accident.
“Unfortunately, with a hay bale accident (especially with large square bales) it’s rarely just an injury, it’s more often a death and we want to change that.
“Our new Hay Safe portal is about making good safety information easy to access and relevant to the way people actually work on farms and in sheds.
“The goal is simple: everyone gets home safely at the end of the day.”
According to AgHealth Australia, 72 people died on Australian farms in 2024, with 133 more seriously injured - the highest toll in five years.
The handling, stacking, and transport of hay bales remains one of the leading causes of fatal incidents, particularly involving large square bales that can weigh over 700 kg.
Hay Safe Day was initiated by Western Australian hay grower and former AFIA director Suzanne Woods, following a tragic on-farm accident.
Since then, the Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) has championed the event nationally each year on October 25, encouraging farmers, contractors, and supply chain partners to pause, reflect, and talk about safety.
“Feed Central is proud to support National Hay Safe Day and the people behind it,” Mr Ford said.
“We see firsthand how one simple decision, just taking a few minutes to do something safely, can be the difference between life and death.
“This is our contribution to keeping the conversation alive.”
Feed Central is Australia’s leading quality assurance company for hay and feed.
Based in Toowoomba, Queensland, the company provides independent testing, quality systems, and farm safety programs aimed at strengthening the fodder industry and supporting rural communities.
Learn more at www.feedcentral.com.au.